Ultra Low Profile Side Saddle Portable Air Conditioner

ABSTRACT

A window air conditioner has an inside unit with the air conditioner compressor, evaporator, and related components and a separate exterior unit with the air conditioner condenser and related components. The two units are operatively and structurally connected by two pipes that enable flow of refrigerant between the units and connect them electrically. The pipes enable the air conditioner to be mounted with the pipes resting on a window sill with the two units straddling the window sill. The air conditioner is thus installed in the window without requiring tools and can be carried using the pipes as handles.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Installing traditional portable air conditioning units is typically a dreaded and stressful event. The units are heavy, often requiring two people, and always requiring tools. Dropping the unit out the window and injuring someone is a concern during the installation process. Installers always have to be mindful that if the air conditioner falls out the window in an apartment building, it could kill someone walking by below. Once installed, not only is the window sill usually scratched and the window drilled with holes, but also the unit is unsightly from the outside. It also blocks the view from inside. Landlords sometimes try to forbid tenants from installing window air conditioners, or if they tolerate them at all, charge for damage to the window. A portable air conditioner as described herein will avoid these problems, including being safe from falling out the window. It is balanced, with a portion of the operating components housed in a unit disposed outside the window and other operating components disposed in a unit inside the window. The interior and exterior units are operably connected by pipes that also serve to support the units on a window sill.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This structure represents a dramatic repackaging of existing air conditioning technology.

It represents a new low-profile, portable window air conditioner by splitting the air conditioner into two units separated about 12 inches apart and connected by two pipes to operably connect the two units, thereby enabling both units (comprising inside and exterior units) to sit flush with the window sill by resting on the pipes, leaving an unobstructed view. The compressor, evaporator coil, evaporator fans and controls are inside the house on the inside compressor/evaporator unit, and the condenser and associated components are in the exterior condenser unit. The pipes connecting the units comprise refrigerant conduits, electrical connections, and a condensate line, and can also serve as carrying handles. The pipes can be mounted to the units so that the units sit below the window sill and provide an unobstructed view through the window, unlike conventional window air conditioners.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a drawing of an exemplary embodiment of a low-profile portable air conditioner as described above that is 22″ wide by 8″ high, and 32″ long.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The air conditioner 100 includes an exterior condenser unit 200 with openings 202 for an internal fan (not shown) and is mounted outside a window (not shown). The condenser unit 200 includes the air conditioner's condenser and is preferably in the shape of a typical window box, approximately 22″ wide by 8″ high by 8″ wide. It is connected to an inside unit 300 by two thin, foot-long, one-inch diameter pipes 402 and 404, which cross the window sill and connect to the unit 300 at the inside of the window. The pipes 402 and 404 convey refrigerant between the exterior condenser unit 200 and the inside unit 300 and rest on the window sill S to support the air conditioner 100. The window cannot close completely due to the two pipes crossing the sill, which creates a one inch gap that can be sealed with a towel. The present embodiment thus can accommodate outside walls as thick as 12 inches. The inside unit 300 contains the air conditioner's evaporator coil, fan, and compressor (not shown) of conventional construction. Standard controls for the air conditioner 100 are indicated schematically at 302. A condensate pump (not shown) internal of the inside unit 300 pumps condensate water produced by the inside unit 300 to the outside. The condensate line would run through one of the two foot-long pipes 402 and 404.

In a typical installation at least two separate blower motors would be needed, one for the inside compressor/evaporator unit 300 and another for the exterior condenser unit 200. A sideways-mounted compressor would preferably be utilized. Such compressors are known and have been optimized for lubrication to allow operation when mounted on the side, unlike most air conditioning compressors which must operate in an upright position. The target weight of an air conditioner as described herein is 30 lbs. and its BTU rating would be 4,000 (low), to keep cost and weight to a minimum. Noria Technologies, LLC, of Philadelphia, Pa., has proposed a portable air conditioned, believed not yet to be on the market, is rated at 5,000 BTUs, and weighs 30 lbs. Accordingly, an air conditioner as described herein could possibly be made to weigh under 30 lbs. because it has a rating of 1,000 fewer BTUs. It will be more desirable than the Noria construction because the Noria air conditioner requires tools and drilling to install, it can fall out of a window mount, it still blocks the view from the window, its polished metal will deteriorate, and Noria apparently plans to force buyers to pay for phone app connectivity and elaborate controls, none of which is actually needed on a low-priced, small air conditioner.

Conventional portable hose type air conditioners are also a poor choice for the purpose as compared to the construction described herein. This type of air conditioner tends to be tall, heavy, and hard to carry. The hoses are usually somewhat flimsy and hard to manipulate, and eventually break. The hoses require the use of tools to set up the air conditioner, and it takes substantial effort, time, and consultation of complex directions to set up. In addition, their efficiency is much lower than the efficiency of a window unit (up to 40% less efficient according to Consumer Reports). Finally, the RolliCool ductless mini split air conditioner is another option portable air conditioner option, but it has reputedly had reliability problems stemming from its use of flexible and disconnectable refrigerant lines. The construction described herein and shown in FIG. 1 avoids that issue and affords long-term reliability by using fixed refrigerant lines.

The low profile window air conditioner described herein is characterized in one aspect by providing an inside unit with compressor/evaporator components and an exterior unit with condenser components. The components thus separated into different units, can be operatively connected by pipes that allow both units to sit flush with a windowsill, lower than conventional window air conditioners. The pipes serve multiple functions. They physically connect the units, they contain the air conditioner's low pressure and high pressure refrigerant lines, its power line, and in a preferred embodiment transport condensate outside. They also serve as carrying handles for installation and storage purposes. A comparison can be made to riding a horse sitting in the saddle. The new construction, by sitting low and straddling the wall vs. standing on top of the saddle like conventional window air conditioners perched on the window sill, is more stable because it “sits in the saddle.” 

1.-7. (canceled)
 8. An air conditioner comprising: a first unit including an air conditioner compressor and evaporator; a second unit including an air conditioner condenser; and at least two pipes operatively connecting said first and second units for exchanging refrigerant between said first and second units, said pipes providing a space between said units wherein when said first unit is disposed inside a window, said second unit is disposed outside the window with the pipes supporting the air conditioner on a sill of the window.
 9. An air conditioner as in claim 8, wherein at least one of the pipes carries an electrical connection between said units.
 10. An air conditioner as in claim 9, wherein the pipes are about 12 inches long.
 11. An air conditioner as in claim 10, wherein at least one of the pipes further includes a conduit for leading condensate from the first unit to the outside of the window.
 12. An air conditioner as in claim 8, wherein the pipes are mounted to the units proximate to the tops thereof so that the units are disposed substantially flush with or below the level of the window sill.
 13. An air conditioner as in claim 12, wherein the pipes are spaced from each other and the second unit is approximately 22 inches long in a direction transverse to the pipes by approximately 8 inches high from top to bottom and approximately 8 inches wide.
 14. An air conditioner as in claim 13, wherein the pipes are about 12 inches long and approximately one inch in diameter.
 15. An air conditioner as in claim 13 having a 4,000 BTU rating.
 16. An air conditioner as in claim 15 weighing less than 30 lbs.
 17. An air conditioner as in claim 8, wherein the compressor is side-mounted in the first unit.
 18. An air conditioner as in claim 8 having a 4,000 BTU rating.
 19. An air conditioner as in claim 18 weighing less than 30 lbs.
 20. An air conditioner comprising: a first unit including an air conditioner compressor and evaporator; a second unit including an air conditioner condenser; and at least two pipes about 12 inches long operatively connecting said first and second units for exchanging refrigerant between said first and second units, said pipes providing a space between said units, wherein: when said first unit is disposed inside a window, said second unit is disposed outside the window with the pipes supporting the air conditioner on a sill of the window with the first and second unites substantially flush with a sill of the window, at least one of the pipes carries an electrical connection between said units said pipes, and said second unit is approximately 22 inches long in a direction transverse to the pipes by approximately 8 inches high from top to bottom and approximately 8 inches wide.
 21. An air conditioner as in claim 20, wherein at least one of the pipes further includes a conduit for leading condensate from the first unit to the outside of the window. 